Follow-up

The first Kazakhstan expedition to the South Pole will start in November 2011, KazTAG reports citing the leader of the expedition Nurlan Abduov.

“The first Kazakhstan car expedition to the South Pole will start on November 25 from Novolazarevskaya station in Antarctica. On December 16 the expedition participants are planning to install Kazakhstan flag in the South Pole,” head of Kazakhstan Geographic Society Nurlan Abduov said.

As per Abduov, the expedition will head to Antarctica from Astana. The flight “will be operated by Kazakhstan airlines.” The head of expedition did not name the airline that will provide the air transportation.

“Direct radio broadcasting will be established on in the South Pole so that Kazakhstan residents could hear our message that Kazakhstan flag has been installed at the South Pole. We are planning to come back to Astana on December 23,” he added.

“The expedition will consist of 8-10 people: geologists, geographers and chemists. Our objective is to inspect snow and ice in the South Pole for presence of foreign matters,” Abduov said. As per his information, the expedition will drive Toyotas from Novolazarevskaya polar station. “These cars proved themselves when in 2010 Konstantin Orlov and Stanislav Makarenko took part in Russian car expedition to the Pole.”

Abduov also explained that the initiative was supported by Astana administration: “This year is a year of the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan.” “Kazakhstan Geographic Society has a board of trustees that deals with collection of funds (for the Antarctica expedition). Kazakhstan businessmen support us as well,” Abduov said.

Kazakhstan Geographic Society was established in 2010 with the main objective of contributing to development of geographic and related sciences.